Sunday, August 29, 2010

Oil on troubled flames

In my last post I took a squint at the current feeding frenzy over the recent arrests of alleged terrorists--not only a trial by media, as my co-blogger Marie-Ève commenter deBeauxOs referred to it in the comments, but a virtual conviction by media.

Needless to say, some of the Usual Suspects across the heavily-patrolled blogospheric border have lost no time getting into the action. The mainstream Canadian Islamic Congress is now experiencing a backlash--for, in part, appearing to express apprehension about a backlash.

The CIC affirms that Canadian Muslims, more than other citizens, are deeply concerned and disturbed about the arrests and especially about psychological, social and emotional impact of these arrests on the well being of Canadian Muslims.

"If you don’t like it you may be more comfortable in more Muslim friendly places."

4) Call those Muslims who caution against the immediate presumption of guilt a bunch of liars. Now, let's see what has been left out of this shrieking narrative. Why, the very first two sentences of the release, in shout-caps:

CANADIAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS EXPRESSES DISMAY AT THE ARREST OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS ON TERROR RELATED CHARGES, AND REITERATES ITS CONDEMNATION OF ALL ACTS OF VIOLENCE, TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM HERE AND ABROAD.

THE CIC THANKS SECURITY FORCES FOR FAST ACTION IN SAFEGUARDING OUR COUNTRY AND ITS CITIZENS AND CALLS ON DUE PROCESS OF LAW.

Gosh. Isn't this the "leaders speaking out" trope that the far Right are always claiming doesn't exist? Best to ignore it and move down the release a tad to find what you're looking for.

Incidentally, I don't think the statement further down about the well-being of Canadian Muslims necessarily refers to a backlash at all, but to the feelings that many ordinary Canadian Muslims undoubtedly experience when alleged jihadists are seen as acting in their name. But backlash there is--as we can PLAINLY SEE.